Austin City Limits (ACL) has been a long-running television music series for 36 years (as of 2010) and has helped Austin to be known as ‘The Live Music Capital of the World’. It was taped in small studio, Studio 6A, on The University of Texas campus, but will soon move to a new custom-made venue in the downtown area and is being called The Moody Theater. The final taping at the UT studio was Nov. 8, 2010.

While Studio 6A had an original capacity of 800 people, it was reduced to 320 when fire marshals reassessed, The Moody Theatre will be three-story and have a capacity of 2700 people. It is being constructed next to the W Hotel at Lavaca and 2nd Streets and should be completed some time in January 2011.

The first floor will be general admission, the second will contain box suites for seating, and the third level will be stadium seating. The farthest seat from the stage is only 75 feet away.

ACL will operate in Moody Theatre 45 days per year and will be available for other live music events the remainder of the year.

ACL’s new location will be the only venue in Austin that will be certified for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). This means that it follows the ‘green’ building standards.